Are Steroids Worth Taking

Side Effects Of Steroids

Steroids comprise several popular body enhancement products. However, though these are prevalently used by people who want to gain weight or increase their muscle mass, steroids may also endanger the health of humans. Medically, steroids may be used to treat inflammatory conditions. However, such types of steroids are classified as corticosteroids. The potentially harmful steroids include the anabolic types.

ANABOLIC STEROIDS

Anabolic steroids are sometimes called as “juice” or “roids.” These compounds are artificial derivatives of testosterone, the male hormone. Anabolic steroids may be used to hasten the puberty process or to alleviate the effects of diseases, such as AIDS or cancer. Anabolic steroids are also sometimes called anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS).

Meanwhile, some people who are not suffering from any health conditions use steroids to improve their physical health or their appearance. Anabolic steroids are common the following people:

Body builders

Athletes

People recovering from injury

STEROIDS CAN BE ADDICTIVE

It is not apparent to users, but steroid use can be very quite addictive. As a result, people continue using them without realizing when they are taking excessive amounts. In turn, these people suffer from the consequences of prolonged or extensive use of steroids. Meanwhile, other people claim that steroids are not really addictive, because they do not experience the sensations associated with addictive substances.

SHORT-TERM EFFECTS OF STEROID USE

Steroids are popularly used by body builders because these compounds are believed to be helpful in gaining muscle mass and improving physical abilities. However, people do not realize that using steroids may cause some short-term effects, such as the following:

Acne

Fatigue

Restlessness

Mood swings

Loss of appetite

Trouble in sleeping

Low sperm count

Impotence

Liquid anabolic steroids are commonly injected in certain muscle areas. Thus, people may develop infection of swelling in these parts. In cases of steroid cream, it use may lead to a highly noticeable smell.

NOTABLE SIDE EFFECTS OF STEROIDS

As they are derivatives of the male hormone, anabolic steroids are bound to cause some gender-related side effects, especially when taken in excessive amounts. When people do monitor the amount of steroids that they provide their bodies, they may suffer from the following consequences:

IN WOMEN

Growth of excess hair

Deepening of the voice

Menstrual irregularities

IN MEN

Shrinkage of testicles

Breast tissue growth

OTHER NOTABLE SIDE EFFECTS

Elevated blood pressure

Heart diseases

Stroke mania

Mood swings

Fertility issues

DEFINING STEROID-RELATED OVERDOSE

An overdose in anabolic steroids occurs when high levels of steroids are found in the body. The condition is chronic, and the health risks can be very dangerous physically and mentally.

LONGSTANDING EFFECTS OF STEROID USE

The side effects of steroid use may manifest physically or through the changing behavior of the user. However, there are still health risks that cannot be detected right away. Moreover, steroid users should know that the effects of steroids on the brain may take awhile before they can be noticed. However, once they have affected the nervous system, the production and supply of neurotransmitter will be greatly affected.

If the functions of the brain are compromised because of steroid use, changes in the mood and behavior may transpire.

Some of the longstanding effects associated with the use of steroids are the following:

Delusions

Anger and aggression

Stroke

Paranoia

Kidney

Failure

Heart attack

Tumors in the liver

Blood-borne diseases brought about by use of injection

STEROID DEPENDENCE OF USRES

Without proper control, people develop dependency on the steroids that they use. If they become dependent on such drugs, people are bound to think that they cannot function properly if their body are not running on steroidal substances. This dependency may eventually lead to steroid abuse and cause side effects that can be very detrimental to the body.

On the other hand, when users quit on giving steroids to their body, they will strongly feel the urge to take the substances again. Thus, users suffer from a feeling of unpleasantness once the steroids are out of their system. In other cases, some people may experience side effects, which should be addressed by medical professionals right away.

STEROID WITHDRAWAL

The common method for steroid withdrawal is through a tapering program. This program is aimed at reducing the symptoms associated with disuse of steroids. Steroid withdrawal symptoms may include the following:

Headaches

Insomnia

Anxiety

Difficulty in focusing

Decreased sex drive

Anorexia

Joint and muscle pain

Fatigue

Psychologically, depression can be one of the most dangerous side effects of steroid use. The period of depression may last a while, and without the needed help, the sufferer may entertain thought of suicide.

Thus, to treat steroid withdrawal symptoms, people are advised to seek help from medical experts to ensure that they get all the help during the process. Moreover, any negative sequence can be addressed right away. In most cases, withdrawal treatment is done through an outpatient basis, though inpatient or residential rehab programs are recommended for people who are abusing combinations of different steroid types.

Currently, dependence and addiction on steroid drugs are fairly manageable and does require long periods of time to accomplish. The treatments are aimed at decreasing the chances or relapse and addressing the factors that caused the users to resort to steroid use.